Six private-sector consortia are currently in the running to relocate the existing Papworth Hospital to a site on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

They will be whittled down to a shortlist of three ahead of a detailed selection process which will lead to the signing of a contract between the hospital trust and the preferred bidder in late 2012.

The runners are believed to include a Laing O’Rourke led consortium, Balfour Beatty, Brookfield and Sir Robert McAlpine.

The construction phase is expected to be complete by late 2015.

A successful information event for potential private-sector bidders was held in early September attracting more than 120 delegates.

Following that event six consortia have completed the formal requirement of a pre-qualification questionnaire, to be considered for the next stage of the project.

Papworth Hospital’s Chief Executive, Stephen Bridge said: “I am delighted with the response we have had from potential bidders.

“The strong turnout at our bidder event confirms that the New Papworth project is a highly attractive project, and this has now resulted in six formal requests to be considered for the next stage of the project.”